The trailer for Rose McGowan’s upcoming docuseries has arrived.
The actress and activist who helped bring down Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein has had a whirlwind couple of months. In October, McGowan accused Weinstein of raping her in 1997, fueling the fire that eventually purged Weinstein from the industry. Since then, McGowan has become a central part of the #MeToo movement. She’s called out celebrities for silence on abuse, was the keynote speaker at the Women’s Convention in Detroit, and has been working on a memoir titled Brave.
If that’s not enough, McGowan has a five-part documentary series titled “Citizen Rose” premiering on E! on Jan. 30. The series follows McGowan as she prepares for her book release and deals with trauma since coming forward against Weinstein.
“Being brave doesn’t mean your ankles don’t shake and that you’re not scared,” McGowan says in the trailer. “I wish I had more middle fingers.”
Many people criticized McGowan for “Citizen Rose” when the series was announced earlier in January. Some critics said the series whitewashes a movement created by Tarana Burke, a black activist, in 2007. Others said it’s problematic that McGowan will profit off of the #MeToo movement.
McGowan responded to the criticism on Twitter over the weekend.
“FYI: not turning #MeToo into a show. I’m documenting the past 3 months of my life as I ready BRAVE my book for publishing,” McGowan tweeted on Saturday. “I trademarked #ROSEARMY 3 years ago. I am part of #MeToo because I am a Me Too, it’s not my movement. My book hasn’t come out, don’t assume anything.”
The actress explained the inspiration for the series in a Jan. 2 statement to People magazine.
“As I ready my book, Brave, I realized I wanted to show how we can heal through art even when being hounded by evil,” she wrote. “I want to have a conversation with everyone, and most especially, you, about looking at things differently and seeing beauty everywhere. E!’s tremendous reach and impressive platform allow me to globally communicate the importance of living a brave life.”
“Citizen Rose” premieres on E! Jan. 30.